I
wasn’t really planning on going to Texas. I mean, of all places in the US, why
there? Well, what happened is that while searching for flights from Los Angeles
to Mexico City, all the direct flights were more expensive than the ones with
stopovers by around USD100. I crossed out Volaris from my list because the
prices were almost similar with American Airlines, which is part of my mileage
program alliance. I found a flight with a stopover in Dallas, and I thought,
why not? I land there at 6 AM and take off at 6 PM. Daytrip!
Another
option was to just visit a friend in Austin, but she said that it would take
around 3 hours to get there one-way via public transportation, which seemed a
bit too exhausting. And so I just stayed in Dallas for some old-fashioned
stroll downtown. Two alternatives were to go to either Six Flags or the extreme
park, which would have been both doable. But then I was coming from a flight
and haven’t had more than three hours of sleep. As much as I love roller
coasters, I know what my limitations are.
The
good thing about this daytrip is that I spent less than USD20 for it,
because the entire cost of the plane ride I counted as part of my expenses for Mexico City. The DART day pass was USD5. My breakfast was also around
USD 5. My lunch at Subway was less than USD10. Extra costs could have been
spent on museums and other attractions but I didn’t bother to do anything other than take a stroll and admire Dallas’ cityscape, which wasn’t bad at all.
The
DART ride took almost an hour from the airport all the way to West End. For
your convenience, you can download a walking map of Dallas showing you all the
important tourist attractions in the city. I chose the one from National
Geographic and it was really easy to follow. What other people do is join a Segway
tour of the city, which is also fun but will set you back around USD60. I
prefer walking and Wikipedia. All in all, I was strolling for almost four hours
with breaks in between.
I
arrived at West End just in time for breakfast at around 9 AM, and was
headed back to the airport by 3 PM. I had a lot of time left to rest
before my flight to Mexico took off. And so, what did I see in Dallas? A lot of
skyscrapers! The cityscape has been really awesome, and I was glad that I had
around 60+ photos after the entire trip. Honestly, I thought I wouldn’t be
seeing anything. I was pleasantly surprised. Many tourist attractions are
clustered around Founders Plaza, so let’s start there.
Aside
from multiple parks where you can just sit on a bench or sleep on it like a
true blue hobo, there is also this castle-like thingy next to the JFK Memorial.
It's huge, red, seemingly made of bricks, and topped with mini conical domes. It’s
attention-grabbing alright, but also provokes curiosity. To quote my friend on
Instagram, “What is Texan about this castle?” Exactly! Anyway, it houses a museum
focusing on Dallas’ history. If you want more information, Google "Old Red
Courthouse."
A
few steps away from the castle is JFK Memorial. Lest we forget, it is in this
city where his assassination took place. The memorial is a simple one and looks
like a giant white Lego brick of sorts. It definitely stands out despite the
domineering castle right next to it. If you want to see the exact same spot
where the president was shot, you will have to walk down a block or two to
Dealey Plaza, where you will find a small park with monuments and fountains.
There are benches there if you need to take a break.
Across
the street from the park is the Sixth Floor Museum. Look up and set your gaze upon the
rightmost window. That’s where Lee Harvey Oswald was said to be standing when
he shot JFK. Now that the building is a museum, you can actually go inside, but
of course you have to pay. I didn’t find that necessary. Follow the road
leading down to the grassy knoll and you will see a white X on the pavement. That
X marks the spot of the assassination, although up to now people still seem to be
debating about what really happened.
I
didn’t have access to Wiki when I was there because I didn’t have data. There
was a hobo who approached me and gave me all that info while taking my souvenir
photos for me. And then he told me that he was working on tips to feed the
family. He wasn’t scary or anything. He was actually polite, and I have great
respect for adults who “work” for their money instead of robbing you in broad
daylight. So I gave him a tip anyway! You don’t have to, though, because there
are free tours, but whatevs.
What
followed was more walking which ultimately lead to exhaustion. It wasn’t very
hot that day and the distance between attractions were not that huge, but I
just thought I’ve already seen enough. Structures that stood out for me include the
Reunion Tower, Union Station, the big red Pegasus of Omni Hotel, as well as the
office of the Dallas Morning News. The rest were skyscrapers of the CBD, along
with a glass pyramid designed by I.M. Pei.
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